Longzang

Chapter 671 The Greatest Motivation

In the fourth year of the Tianqi reign of the Tang Dynasty, bandits were rampant in the Western Regions. The five counties of Yuyang Prefecture fell into the hands of bandits overnight, leaving the land barren and the people plundered.

If this had happened in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, it would surely have been recorded in history books and given great prominence.

However, at this time, the Tang dynasty was in decline, and conflicts broke out in various places. When war broke out, many places within thousands of miles were deserted, and the loss of hundreds of thousands of people was considered a minor matter, only worthy of being recorded in local history.

The shrewd historian in charge of Yuyang County first consulted Cui Shutong about whether or not to record the matter. He thought he could get away with it, but Cui Shutong simply said, "I do not interfere with historians," meaning it was up to him to decide.

After the historian took his leave, he was immediately confused, unsure whether to write it or not, or to what extent. In his anxiety, he fell seriously ill.

After the historian took his leave, Cui Shutong's two sons became worried, saying that if the historian wrote something wrong, wouldn't it damage their father's reputation?

Cui Shutong, however, did not care, saying that the people of the five counties were kidnapped by bandits, so what did it have to do with him? Let the historians write it down as they see fit. Afterwards, Cui Shutong packed his things and went to the capital to meet King Zhao.

Cui Shutong wasn't worried about the history books, and neither was Wei Yuan. This was the work of bandits; what did it have to do with him? If the history books were to record it, they would record it as Emperor Taizu Yuan... no, Wei Yuan, the military governor of Dingxi, sending troops to suppress the bandits and saving the people from suffering.

At this time, Qingming dispatched tens of thousands of troops to repel the rampant bandit gang's first battle group, saving hundreds of thousands of people from suffering.

The Qingming army then told the people that the bandits would return and carry out a massacre in retaliation, so there was no way back to Zhao territory; they could only go to Qingming to stay temporarily. Camps and soup kitchens had been set up along the way to Qingming, so although it was a journey of several thousand miles, everyone could rest assured.

Then a caravan of Qingming merchants appeared, consisting of hundreds of large trucks.

The Qingming army then moved the elderly, women, and children onto wagons and headed ahead to Qingming. As a result, many families went to Qingming, and they gave up their desire to return to their hometowns. After all, they were farming everywhere, and they had heard that the land in Qingming was even more fertile.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched forward in a long procession, creating a magnificent sight. Nearly ten thousand Qingming troops accompanied and escorted them. When officials from various places in the Western Jin Dynasty saw that it was the troops of the Dingxi Jiedushi, they immediately gave them great convenience, almost escorting them out of the country with courtesy, and no one dared to make things difficult for them.

Those who could hold official positions in the Western Regions naturally knew the power of the bandits. Tens of thousands of bandits from the Extinction Heaven Gang once blocked the gates of Hanyang Pass, preventing hundreds of thousands of soldiers inside from leaving. The extent to which bandits could achieve this was rare in the world. Bandits possessing heavy artillery were even more unprecedented.

No matter how arrogant the bandits of the Extinction Gang are, they can be wiped out by Lord Wei in the blink of an eye, although they will reappear soon after they are wiped out.

Therefore, both those who understand and those who don't think Wei Yuan is very powerful.

After traveling for more than a month, 700,000 people from the Zhao state finally arrived in Qingming before winter.

The journey was nearly 7,000 li, but fortunately there was plenty of food along the way, and the rest of the people were strong men who were used to hard work and had enough to eat. Trucks would come from time to time to pick up the sick and weak, so the group of people traveled quite quickly.

As you approach Qingming, the climate is no longer cold, and it becomes quite hot once you enter Qingming.

The people were stunned. As the morning mist dissipated, a silvery river, winding through the surrounding mountains, divided thousands of acres of fertile land. The soil was so rich it gleamed with a honey-like sheen. A faint, wispy mist flowed across the boundless expanse, invigorating the spirit and dispelling all fatigue. Despite their long and arduous journey, they had been well-fed at every meal and had entered such a paradise. The people felt as if they were in a dream, and their joy was palpable even more when they came to their senses.

Isn't this the paradise they've always dreamed of?

Next came the registration process, which allowed families to reunite. Then, people with special skills were registered, and their various Qingming systems were explained to them, with a focus on the military merit system. After that, they were sent in batches to different parts of Qingming to settle down.

These matters were already thoroughly understood within Qingming, and hundreds of minor officials handled them in an orderly manner, requiring no effort from Wei Yuan.

The 700,000 mortals from the Zhao Kingdom contributed less than 30,000 units of Qi to Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan had expected this, after all, they were not true refugees, having left their homes to come to Qingming, so it would be good if they could contribute 30,000 units of Qi.

However, as time goes by and they integrate into Qingming life, aside from anything else, just the fact that they can have enough to eat will probably bring Wei Yuan another 100,000 units of luck. Then, once they accept the military merit system, some will be promoted to civilians and some will successfully forge their bodies, bringing in at least another 200,000 units of luck.

In the nearly two months leading up to winter, Wei Yuan was busy preparing for the arrival of 700,000 mortals while simultaneously organizing his army for war.

However, the Western Jin Dynasty never managed to obtain any information. They only heard that the war in the north was going badly, but they didn't know exactly how badly.

Everything seemed normal at court; the Prince of Jin attended court and held discussions as usual.

However, the fate of a nation cannot lie. Only when Wei Yuan led 700,000 Zhao citizens into Qingming and simultaneously sent the equivalent of three months' worth of trade goods into Zhao before the King of Zhao closed the border did the Western Jin Dynasty's fate rebound slightly, but it soon began to decline again.

Wei Yuan never understood why the Western Jin Dynasty was in such a state, so he could only prepare for the worst. He dug out all the biographies of the various emperors in the history books, such as the "Second Father," "Second Father," "Acting Father," and "Regent," and he was sweating profusely as he read them. He found that it seemed that very few of them had a good ending.

For months, the territory of Zhao's Bishui region has expanded to over a hundred miles, and the inner city is nearing completion. Li Chengfeng has transferred 100,000 troops from within Zhao. However, he did not send more troops, clearly demonstrating his confidence in his military strength.

Li Zhi, on the other hand, was preparing for winter by purchasing five million catties of grain from Qingming.

The mountain people's territory has distinct seasons, and the winter is bitterly cold. Li Zhi's territory is now self-sufficient, and Wei Yuan knows that the Dharma form he has cultivated can increase the production of goods, but Li Zhi still buys grain on a large scale, obviously for strategic reserves, and is also secretly preparing for war.

The storm is brewing.

Western Jin Dynasty, Crown Prince's Palace.

During this period, the Crown Prince's residence was bustling with people and guests. The Crown Prince hosted banquets for envoys from various countries, sometimes holding four or five banquets in a single night. The Crown Prince himself possessed extraordinary energy, requiring only half an hour of meditation each day. After court sessions, the Left and Right Chancellors, the Ministers of the Six Ministries, and other important officials would gather at the Crown Prince's residence to reconsider the day's affairs. Sometimes, matters decided in court would not be implemented immediately but would be discussed again at the Crown Prince's residence.

The order from the Prince of Jin could not leave the palace.

That evening, the Crown Prince held his usual meeting in his residence. The room was packed, with many officials having to stand against the walls. But none of them complained; being able to stand in this room meant having a place in the new dynasty, a great honor.

After all the state affairs had been discussed, the Crown Prince suddenly said, "Father, you only have three years left to live. The various systems in the court have been largely established, so there is no chance of any trouble. It's just that Consort Yuan is still away from the capital, and this trip out for a spring outing has already extended into winter."

A civil official immediately said, "Your Majesty should issue an edict to summon Consort Yuan back to the capital at once."

A subtle, almost imperceptible heat flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes as he said, "The safety of the King of Chu is also very important. I request that Father issue another decree, instructing Wei Yuan to ensure the King of Chu's safety and that he be safely escorted back to the capital."

"Yes, Your Highness... no, Your Majesty." The civil official quickly changed his tune.

The Crown Prince nodded slightly and began to discuss the next matter, completely forgetting about Prince Fu.

"The King of England has urgently requested a replenishment of military equipment, especially heavy armor for soldiers, and specifically requested breastplates produced in Qingming. What are your thoughts on this matter, my esteemed ministers?"

The Right Chancellor, who was in charge of military affairs, said: "This is a matter of life and death concerning the safety of the nation. Although the King of England has not yet expressed his allegiance, he must not be hindered in this matter. I believe that we should satisfy him as soon as possible. All procedures can be postponed for now. We should directly allocate cash to purchase the breastplate from Qingming and send it to the north immediately."

The Minister of War, however, was a new face. He said, "Breastplates are just ordinary weapons, not rare at all. Where in the world can't we find them? Why insist on purchasing them from Qingming? Wei Yuan's wolfish ambitions will erupt sooner or later. Buying armor from him would only make him more difficult to control. This is absolutely unacceptable!"

Your Majesty, I believe we should procure supplies domestically. With so many workshops, over two hundred of which are officially registered under the Ministry of War, that should be more than enough.

The Right Chancellor's face darkened. "The Prince of Ying wants 50,000 sets! With your ironworks, when will you be able to finish them? Next year, or the year after? By then, the Liao people will have already reached the capital!"

The Minister of War, however, remained unfazed, saying, "If we can't finish, will Wei Yuan? In the end, won't it all be the same?"

The newly appointed Minister of War was quite powerful, but surprisingly, the Crown Prince remained silent. The Right Chancellor was furious, his face turning ashen, yet he was helpless. This was because the man's surname was Yuan, and he had married a daughter of the direct descendant of the Lü family's ancestral lineage. Standing there, he represented the Lü family.

Finally, the Crown Prince said, "Let's do this: first, urgently purchase 10,000 sets from Qingming, and the remaining 40,000 will be produced by the Ministry of War. All the required celestial silver will be paid by the Ministry of Revenue."

The Minister of Revenue's expression was rather unpleasant, and he glared fiercely at the Minister of War. As a member of the Xu family, he didn't need to consider the Lü family's feelings, and said, "Your Highness... Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty. Shouldn't we purchase more from Qingming?"

A set of breastplates costs twenty taels of silver from Qingming; however, within the Western Jin Dynasty, the market price is twenty-five taels of silver, and the quality is not as good as Qingming's. If ordered from a workshop under the Ministry of War, the price is fifty taels, and the quality is the worst.

The crown prince hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "This matter is settled, there is no need to discuss it further."

……

In Qingming, inside a newly built hall at the foot of the main peak, Xu Wenwu stood on the platform, conjuring up various scenes while speaking animatedly.

Those seated below were all cultivators from the Taichu Palace, as well as a group of high-ranking military officers.

Xu Wenwu's lecture was titled "War in My Mind." He spoke eloquently on stage, but the audience below barely responded.

After Xu Wenwu finally finished speaking, the applause was sparse. Fortunately, several Dao Foundation cultivators responsible for maintaining order in the venue used their magic to conjure countless celestial flowers that rained down. Amidst the melodious heavenly music, several celestial maidens and celestial men danced, making the atmosphere quite pleasant.

Wei Yuan and Yu Zhizhu walked out of the venue together. Yu Zhizhu said, "Old Xu is getting less and less original. His imagination is so poor! You have to keep an eye on him and make sure he cultivates properly. He shouldn't be spending all his time eating hotpot with Old Daoist Chuhe. Look at him, his belly has gotten even bigger. What kind of imagination can he possibly have!"

Wei Yuan asked in confusion, "What does his weight gain have to do with imagination?"

"When a person gets fat, they don't want to move, and neither do they think."

Wei Yuan felt that there seemed to be some truth to it.

Yu Zhizhuo said, "Once he cultivates the Dharma Form, he will understand some of the methods of controlling the scenery, and he might be able to come up with some new tricks. Judging from the current situation, the things I am researching are much more outlandish than what he is thinking now."

Wei Yuan became interested and said, "Okay, I'll go take a look when I have time."

"It's all still on paper, but it's been proven feasible in theory, and we'll be able to build it soon. Oh, by the way, when are you going to war? If we don't go soon, the earliest batch of flying swords in the warehouse will expire."

Wei Yuan felt a headache coming on. All the cultivators in the Tai Chu Palace in the Azure Netherworld were urging him to go out and fight, for various reasons.

Xu Henshui needs to sell elixirs, Sun Yu's handsome disciple needs to practice his medical skills, and the adoptive fathers of Master Chuhe need to exercise, and so on.

The biggest driving force behind Qingming's current war efforts is these war-related industries.

(End of this chapter)